Watchmaking That Transforms People Is The Future : Gregory Dourde CEO HYT Watches

“It takes a certain consumer to understand HYT’s philosophy, that is that the human perception of time is fluid. Time flows continuously and cannot be stopped.”

Around 325 BC, when water clocks began to be used by the Greeks, who called this device the clepsydra or ‘water thief’, little did they know that centuries later, the modern human will be able to develop pathbreaking technological prowess by putting the very liquid inside a watch for measuring time. When HYT Watches uses a patented fluidic module and exclusive mechanical calibre to bring to life distinctive watches highlighting time’s passage using liquids, it focuses on the power of the present, the very elixir of life. These distinctive HYT watches use a coloured liquid flowing through the day in a tube of glass, that illustrates your past, what you have done, and an immiscible transparent liquid which represents your future, the things yet to come. These two liquids are immiscible. Their meeting point is the present and indicates the hours.

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Here is a sneak peak into a few HYT novelties that are ready to hit the Indian market as the brand prepares for a re-entry here. In an exclusive interaction with ‘Vishawatch’, the CEO of HYT Watches Gregory Dourde takes us through some of the distinctive pieces that are in store for the connoisseurs and the brand’s philosophy of watchmaking that “transforms people”.

Gregory Dourde I Chief Executive Officer I HYT Watches

Vishawatch: HYT watches are bold, unique and statement pieces, what can we expect in terms of consumer experiences and special watches that you have planned for India?

Gregory: We are living in a period where new technologies such as AI, robots, aerospace, transport, etc are accelerating. It is key to understand this trend to guide our product and communication strategy. We must step outside our comfort zone to rethink the fundamentals of luxury and contemporary watches. Why integrate a 200-year-old tourbillon once again, instead of inventing new functions or complications for example, why communicate using tradition channels when new ones have just been invented? It is time to create modern systems, the ones that do not exist! HYT is one of the few companies to have created new systems, thanks to technologies that did not exist 10 years ago. Our inventions are recognised by our peers. Historians specialised in the watch industry use to say that “HYT is writing the new pages of the history of watchmaking”. Scientific creativity is useful, as it allows our customers to experience and change their perception of time. A watchmaking that transforms people, that’s the future!

Vishawatch:Considering that most Swiss watch brands have been doing business in India for quite some time now, what took HYT so long to make an official presence here?

Gregory: HYT was launched in 2012 and the first watches were delivered in 2013. We in fact launched in India in 2014, but this was premature. 5 years ago, we did not have the structure and the right partner to serve the Indian market properly. HYT has grown rapidly since then and now we have everything in place to expand into India. Our team has tripled in size, we have developed a complete brand environment, we have launched some radical new watches and most importantly we have found the right partner, Swiss Promotion, to work with!

Vishawatch:What is your opinion about Indian buyers and the market? What is the potential in this country for your brand to be successful here?

Gregory: India is a large and sophisticated market. Consumers know the watch industry well. We also feel that consumers in India are open to our brand message. It takes a certain consumer to understand HYT’s philosophy, that is that the human perception of time is fluid. Time flows continuously and cannot be stopped. The future becomes the present, which in turn becomes our past. Time is a flow, like a river. We have no doubt that India has enormous potential for HYT. We are just setting up and are excited to move forwards.

Vishawatch:What is your advice to watch collectors and connoisseurs here? What must be kept in mind before investing in expensive pieces?

Gregory: Watch collectors are all unique individuals with their own ambitions, interests and personalities. When building a watch collection, collectors should acquire pieces that reflect their individuality and who they are as a person. HYT timepieces offer a unique addition to any collection. Our watches are at the crossroads between art and science, innovation and tradition, cutting edge technologies and craftsmanship and can be seen as a unique piece of art that encapsulate these dichotomies that exist in most people. Our mission at HYT, is to rethink with a modern view our experience and interactions with watches. After more than 300 years of a visualisation of time with hands, which was driven by the existing technology at that time, time has come to use advanced sciences and hi-tech to open new perspectives on time.

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ABOUT US

Vishawatch is a take on luxury by a team who tend not to take themselves (or luxury for that matter!) too seriously. You’ll find our perception on things that we find cool – mostly watches, a lot of whiskies and a bunch of other things along the way. Vishawatch has transcended from an online blog and social platform into a curator of branded experiences. “Crafted In Time” is an event series that is conceptualised, hosted and executed by us, along with luxury watch and whisky brands.